Golf club grip including finger grooves and guard element



1966 a. F. HULSMAN 3,

GOLF CLUB GRIP INCLUDING FINGER GROOVES AND GUARD ELEMENT Filed July 15. 19s:

INVENTOR. B. F HULSMAN Y CM ATTORNEY so much hand or finger pressure.

United States Patent 3,227,455 GOLF CLUB GRIP INCLUDING FINGER GROOVES AND GUARD ELEMENT Benjamin F. Hulsman, 16621 Valencia Ave., Fontana, Calif. Fiied July 15, 1963, Ser. No. 294,869 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-165) This invention relates to an attachment in the form of a grip for use with the shafts or handles of golf clubs. The grip is one adapted to receive both hands of the golfer and is provided with grooves to receive the golfers fingers as well as being provided with a guard.

The objectof the invention is to provide a grip for use on golf club shafts to make it possible for the golfer to properly hold and swing the club without having to apply A corollary of this object is to make it possible for the golfer to improve his control, handling, and proper swinging of the club by enabling him to have a firmer and better grip on the handle.

A further object of the invention is to prevent the shaft of the club from turning in the golfers hands. The grip of the invention is particularly constructed to realize this purpose and objective.

In a preferred form of the invention the grip may be made of rubber and may be constructed so as to be readily and easily adapted to being installed or mounted on the handle or shaft of the club. The grip, as will appear hereinafter, may, however, also be made of other materials such as plastic or aluminum.

Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the form of the invention of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2';

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view of the underside of the grip further showing the position of the golfers fingers.

Referring now more in detail to the various figures of the drawings, numeral designates the shaft or handle part of a golf club. The grip as a whole is designated at 12. In the form of the invention shown, the grip is made of rubber, but as stated in the foregoing, it may be made of other suitable materials. It has a generally cylindrical part 14 shaped to fit over the handle part of the shaft of a golf club. This part of the grip is split longitudinally, as shown at 16, so that it can be fitted over the handle of the club. integrally formed with the grip is a guard part as designated at 18. This part is on the outside of the golfers fingers and is integrally connected at its ends to the part 14 which is fitted over the handle of the club as shown.

The part 14 which fits over the handle has integral extending ribs as shown at forming arcuate or rounded depressions 22 between them. These formations or configurations are shaped to receive the golfers fingers, as may be seen in FIGURES 1 and 5. Preferably there are eight arcuate depressions to receive four fingers on each hand of the golfer, as may be seen in FIGURES 1 and 5.

3,227,455 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 A type of grip may be used such as shown in these figures or a conventional overlapping grip may be used in which the little finger of the right hand overlaps the left hand, as illustrated in Patent No. 2,780,464 of Ashley. That is, less than all eight of the arcuate depressions 22 may be utilized.

The longitudinal split 16 makes it possible to fit the grip over the handle of the club and it may be glued in position or secured by other means. It is also possible to construct the grip without the longitudinal split and fit it on endwise over the handle of the club and then secure it by gluing or similar means. Also, the grip may be formed to provide a socket at the rear end in which is received the extreme end of the handle or shaft of the club.

FIGURES 1 and 5 illustrate the use of the grip on a club and these figures illustrate an exemplary manner of a golfers hands engaging the grip. The material of the grip and the formations for the golfers fingers make it possible for him to have a firm grip on the club without applying as much pressure as is ordinarily necessary. The result is that the golfer is less subject to tensing up and yet has a firm grip on the club such that he is able to accurately control it and to execute a proper smooth swing such as is necessary to achiieve direction and distance. A particular advantage of the grip is that it makes it possible for the golfter to hold the club in such a way as to prevent it from turning in his hands which frequently happens, particularly with less experienced golfers. The grip is constructed so that the guard 18 is in a desirably close position to the golfers fingers, which are engaged in the retaining grooves 22. This contributes to the capabilities of the grip in making it possible for the golfer to have the firm grip with less pressure and the prevention of turning or twisting of the shaft in the golfers hands. Another advantage of the grip is that it facilitates the realization of a repeatedly uniform gripping of the club by the golfer, that is, he will realize uniformity in the manner and positioning of his hands on the grip.

From the foregoing those skilled in the art will observe that the invention achieves and realizes all of the objects and advantages as stated in the foregoing, as well as having many additional advantages which are apparent from the detailed description. The grip is one which facilitates the proper holding, handling and control of the club and eliminates significant difficulties in this respect which are well recognized in the prior art and in golfing circles.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of preferred forms of the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A grip attachment for golf clubs comprising generally tub-ular means constructed to embrace and to be secured to the handle of a golf club, said grip being formed of material to facilitate its being held by the hands, said grip member having a guard member formed integrally therewith and having a straight elongated part extending parallel to the tubular means and spaced therefrom and end parts extending normal to the tubular means, said tubular means having a plurality of integral projections extending toward the longitudinal part of the guard, said projections being configurated to provide between them arouate finger retaining grooves adapted to receive four fingers on each hand of the golfter that normally grasp the club, the grooves forming concavities facing away from the tubular means, said guard being sufficiently close to the tubular means to be in a position close to the golfers fingers engaged in the retaining grooves to assist in the prevention of turning or twisting of the shaft in the golfers hands whereby a grip is provided making it possible for the golfer to have a firmer grip with less finger pressure.

2. A grip attachment as in claim 1 wherein the tubular means is longitudinally split on the side opposite the said guard, the tubular means being made of material whereby it may be sprung apart sufficiently to fit over the handle of a golf club and be secured thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Orthwein 273-165 Russell et a1. 27381.5

Pinkerton 273194 Beebe 27381.4

Park 273-81 Ashley 273-165 10 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GRIP ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF CLUBS COMPRISING GENERALLY TUBULAR MEANS CONSTRUCTED TO EMBRACE AND TO BE SECURED TO THE HANDLE OF A GOLF CLUB, SAID GRIP BEING FORMED OF MATERIAL TO FACILITATE ITS BEING HELD BY THE HANDS, SAID GRIP MEMBER HAVING A GUARD MEMBER FORMED INTEGRALLY THEREWITH AND HAVING A STRAIGHT ELONGATED PART EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE TUBULAR MEANS AND SPACED THEREFROM AND END PARTS EXTENDING NORMAL TO THE TUBULAR MEANS, SAID TUBULAR MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF INTEGRAL PROJECTIONS EXTENDING TOWARD THE LONGITUDINAL PART OF THE GUARD, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING CONFIGURATED TO PROVIDE BETWEEN THEM ARCUATE FINGER RETAINING GROOVES ADAPTED TO RECEIVE FOUR FINGERS ON EACH HAND OF THE GOLFTER THAT NORMALLY GRASP THE CLUB, THE GROOVES FORMING CONCAVITIES FACING AWAY FROM THE TUBULAR MEANS, SAID GUARD BEING SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO THE TUBULAR MEANS TO BE IN A POSITION CLOSE TO THE GOLFER''S FINGERS ENGAGED IN THE RETAINING GROOVES TO ASSIST IN THE PREVENTION OF TURNING OR TWISTING OF THE SHAFT IN THE GOLFER''S HANDS WHEREBY A GRIP IS PROVIDED MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THE GOLFER TO HAVE A FIRMER GRIP WITH LESS FINGER PRESSURE. 